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DayBreaks for 03/15/13 – Prayer and Chains of Gold

I’ve been working on a lesson on prayer. I confess, praying sometimes comes hard for me. It’s not that I don’t know how to pray nor is it that I don’t have things to pray about for others and myself. I cannot imagine not be able to think of something to pray about – even if it is just to give adoration to the King! No, the problem is time. I’ve worked full time now for nearly forty years. Over that amount of time it is easy to get so pressured for time with work, family and everything else, that carving out time to really pray seems to often get short shrift.

As I was working on the lesson today, I ran across a part of a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson that I thought was beautiful and thoughtful. It is the kind of encouragement for prayer that I sometimes need. Here it is:

“If thou shouldst never see my face again,

Pray for my soul.

More things are wrought by prayer

Than this world dreams of.

Wherefore, let they voice

Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer

Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way

Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

There’s so much here that I like:

FIRST: When leaving a friend, I would like to ask them for the same request made in the second line. And who knows if we shall ever see one another again on this earth? It is a reminder of the value of friends…and that we can continue that friendship into eternity. It’s not asking friends for something trivial – but for the most profound blessing a friend can do for another.

SECOND: We have no idea what has been accomplished by prayer because prayers are often unheard by human ear. In our wildest imaginings, we couldn’t begin to see all prayer has accomplished, and that should be reason enough to let our voices 24 hours a day in prayer.

THIRD: If we don’t pray, we are not much different than sheep or goats. It would be a “blind life” as Tennyson suggests.

FOURTH: It is through prayer that my friends and I, your friends and you, the “whole round earth” is bound to the feet of God, but not by chains of iron and manacles…but by chains of gold while we seek His will as we bow at His feet.

PRAYER: Lord, as your disciples asked, so we too, ask: “Teach us, Lord, to pray!” Let us lift up hands and minds and hearts to You and be ready to receive Your mind and blessing in return! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2013 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

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Medical Ambassadors International is a 501.c.3 organization that has been serving the needy, sharing the gospel and helping them become self-sufficient in many ways for 32 years. Check them out! They are members of ECFA (the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).

Ultimately, the decision on what music might be used rests with others, not with me. I’m more on the curriculum development end of things. But if you’d like to create something for the Nigeria folks, that’s fine. However, the DVD has already gone to production, but I’m sure there will be other possibilities in the future!